A fantastic book, persuasively and informatively written. It gives several points of view about nature conservation in the Cumbrian uplands, and informs the reader about the compromises between them, while still being accessible and a joy to read. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Reviews and Comments
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pwithnall finished reading Wild Fell by Lee Schofield
pwithnall finished reading Where the Wildflowers Grow by Leif Bersweden
A pleasant read, although it would have significantly benefited from including the photos inline (this is easy to do in the ebook edition). Without that, and despite the author’s best efforts at textually describing flowers, it’s not easy to learn/recognise what flowers the text refers to.
pwithnall finished reading Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a popular science book written by physicist Stephen …
Really well written and clear. A bit of duplication between some of the questions/answers, but that’s to be expected. Well worth reading.
pwithnall reviewed Principles by Ray Dalio
Bridgewater Associates founder, Ray Dalio, offers a five-step process to getting what you want out …
The principles make sense, but could have been explained in 5 pages not 247
3 stars
pwithnall finished reading Rust Web Development by Bastian Gruber
Nicely structured and engaging to read.
pwithnall reviewed Slate quarrying in Corris by Alun John Richards
Niche, comprehensive, readable, well referenced
4 stars
Pretty much exactly what you need if you want to learn about slate quarrying in the Corris area. Comprehensive, readable, nicely indexed and referenced.
Probably not much use to you otherwise.
pwithnall reviewed Great Plant-Based Con by Jayne Buxton
Raises interesting points, but draws selective conclusions from data and could be a quarter of the length
2 stars
The core points the author makes – that plant-based diets aren’t a magic bullet to solving climate change, that they can be nutritionally deficient if you’re not careful, and that sometimes the reporting/marketing around them is wildly optimistic/biased/incorrect – are all valid.
However, the book is too verbose, uses derisive language about various groups of people (mostly vegans), and fundamentally ignores the fact that fixing the climate crisis will take emissions reductions in all areas of society. So using data (correctly, as far as I can see) to show that the emissions from meat production are (for example) only a quarter of those from transport is valid — but then the book suggests that this means our diets don’t have to change and really we should only be caring about fixing transport.
We should be caring about fixing transport, and also our diets. The book is full of these false …
The core points the author makes – that plant-based diets aren’t a magic bullet to solving climate change, that they can be nutritionally deficient if you’re not careful, and that sometimes the reporting/marketing around them is wildly optimistic/biased/incorrect – are all valid.
However, the book is too verbose, uses derisive language about various groups of people (mostly vegans), and fundamentally ignores the fact that fixing the climate crisis will take emissions reductions in all areas of society. So using data (correctly, as far as I can see) to show that the emissions from meat production are (for example) only a quarter of those from transport is valid — but then the book suggests that this means our diets don’t have to change and really we should only be caring about fixing transport.
We should be caring about fixing transport, and also our diets. The book is full of these false dichotomies, as well as numerous annoying strawman arguments.
It’s pretty irritating to read, even once you get beyond the inflammatory title and cover.
pwithnall reviewed Alpine Caving Techniques by George Marbach
Go-to reference book for caving techniques, particularly SRT
5 stars
pwithnall rated Malhamdale.: 4 stars
pwithnall rated Underground in Furness: 4 stars
Alexander Klimchouk: Hypogene Speleogenesis: Hydrogeological and Morphogenetic Perspective (Paperback, 2011, National Cave and Karst Research Institute)
Hypogene Speleogenesis: Hydrogeological and Morphogenetic Perspective by Alexander Klimchouk
This book provides an overview of the principal environments, main processes and manifestations of hypogenic speleogenesis, and refines the relevant …
pwithnall reviewed Now wait for last year by Philip K. Dick
Now Wait for Last Year is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Philip …
Review of 'Now wait for last year' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Bit of a slow starter, and suffers from Philip K Dick's seeming obsession with describing breasts, but the ideas are quite interesting once it gets going. It has one or two good twists, and it feels like you’ve achieved something to keep in pace with the narrative and not get lost. It feels like the book is well pitched for that.
pwithnall reviewed Mining in the Lake Counties by William Tyson Shaw
Review of 'Mining in the Lake Counties' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Comprehensive and clear